Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1887-02-21
Entered ct the Post Office ut Whining
ION DEL. q second class mall matter.
Ce.stitut,onal Reform,

Constitutional Reform.
II begins 10 look - II there would
DO no constitutional amendment meas
ures passed by the present Legislature.
Senator Ferguson q reform bill IL but o
copy Of that which righteously met it's
fate two yeafs ago In defeat. II did
not pass the Legislature then and 1t
cannot pass now; this Mr.. Ferguson
must have known when he offered II.
True 1t gave to Wilmington four rep
resentAtives and two Senator'S, but 1t
robbed the rural districts Of New OAe.
tie County Of one Senator that W.T.
mington might have two. Much -
Wilmington needs IN increase Of Sena-
toriai representation, she does not want
1t ct the expense OF the country outside
OF the city. Should Senator Eereu-
sons bill pase, each county would have
four Senators, but New Castle would
have 200 population; Kent, $4,000,
and Sussex, 10000. What could be-
more unequal than this except . far
ther reduction OF Senatorial representa-
'tton for New Castle County? Proper.
tionAlly such representation would be
one Senator for every %, $50 population
for New Castle County; one for every
5000 In Kent, and one for every 10000
In Sussex. b. farther ratio Of com
parison 1t will be seen that rural New
Gas le County, with population
equal to Kent County, would have one
Senator to every $4,000 population to
ons for every 5000 In Ksnt County.
Wilmington, by such an arrange.
ment, would have one Senator to every
%. 800 population on q basis OF . total
population for the city Of $1,000. II
Senator Fsrguson's bill gave rural New
Castle County equal represen tatlon
with Kent-iour s ,uators, and the
same number for Wilmington, 1t might
b, tolerated, but anything less would
be such an acknowled cement OF In.
feIiority - to BE- painfully humillating.
In relation to representation In the
House Mr.. Ferguson's bill IL more
equitable, In that 1t does not rob the
rural portion OF New Castle County of
any part Of its representation, to hand
the stolen property over TO Whining on.
1t sim ply provides for Wilmington be-
ing = separate legislative district vi h
four Representatives, one to every
IA ,2o0 population, while Kent coun y
would have one to every 5.429. That
an attempt should be made to fasten
suoh inequality OF representation upon
Q people that have NO power to resist 1t
by any moral force can hardly be con-
sldered Is coming from . New Castle
County Representative. There 10 no
use Tor the Legislature to daily with
such bill. IL would be repudiated by
any people who had not their hands
tied behind their backs by the ropss OF
disfranohisement
In characterization to Senator
fergusons Dill Is that offered by
senator Martin from sussex. Il pro.
Viues ior consutu ional convention,
oy tue plan recommended by the con-
stitution. IL 10 plan In which the
people nave something to say. The peo.
pie vose whether constitutional con-
venuon snail De called, and II called,
tney ai1er "arus accept or REJECT any or
all OF the acts OF that constitution. Ii
tuo acts oI tue o'nVeneioh are ADOPTED,
tnas VIII DO iigot because the
people say 30; IL they are re-
lecSso snAh Will % right also
Decause tne people say 80. Sena.
.or Msrun's Dill Is comm noable In that
~ recon menus vote 10 Dc taken for
OF against convention at the Novem-
ser eiection IN 1855 his VIII be
Tiesiuent'ai eieouoh, ~ Whlch there
WI 90 nseula"y large vote cast.
ine Oonstituhon requires that the vote
uUOu Calling u COIbu COnVen-
ven tion must equsi tne inquest vote
cast o. .nrre pfeceaing ota'e eleotons.
This takes In the Governors election OF
1852, when over 3l'oo0 woes were cast.
Tnffe was 81 that election tolerably
LoA assessment. and the highest vote
ever cast In the State. Then the call
for q constitutional convention mus
exceed this to be- effective, and to make
1t eIfeciv there will again have to bs
full assessment and full vote mex
year. Should Convention be called
there Is hope that 1t will be composed
OF Representative men, who, thougt
having distinctive political opinions
will be sutfi ;ienly non partisan to d.
what Is right the work OF this Con
vention would then be voted on In 1890
and II adopted become operative In 1852
This seems like slow process, but 1t i
the line marked out by the Consti u
titn, and unless closely followed vii
be OF no avail. 1t will take two yea
aong5r to put the amended Constitution
into operation than oy Senator F-rsu
ssn's plan, but 1t would be 80 muci
more preferable ~ being so much NOR
the voice OF the people tina. the iDj US
tice Of no represen' alton and misrepre
eentation can bs borne With two year
longer.
The third bill introd uced In tn